Feedback please :)

[Lucie]

Hi everyone,

I just bought a veiled chameleon at a local pet store, her name is Lucie, short for Lusitanosaurus (v. long story) lol see attachments for pics

Just wondering if you all could give me a few pointers before I bring her home next Saturday, it will be a 4 hr drive, so I bought one of those plastic aquarium things (~ 1' x 8" x 8") and put a fat branch & some bark in it as a temp enclosure.

Here's that form I saw you all like to use:

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, F, idk how old and neither does the pet store, any guesstimates?
Handling - ppl @ the pet store used to take her out & walk around w. her on their shoulder all day, is this alright? I took her out of her enclosure there & she seemed fine, no stressful color changes or anything
Feeding - I was just going to feed her like 5 or 6 crickets a day every morning, it's what the pet store said...
Supplements - where do you get the cricket dusting powder lol I am really new to this, pet store didn't mention anything about this & have read a little about it...
Watering - mist once in the morning, once at night & put some ice cubes on top of tank here & there
Fecal Description - looked brown @ the pet store lol

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 100 gallon aquarium tank w. screen top; 4' x 2' x 1.5'
Lighting - idk I haven't bought light bulbs yet but I do have one of those long tight bulb tube holder things.
Temperature - i'm not too sure yet but my house is always @ 74 degrees & we live in FL, hot & humid all the time...
Humidity - not sure yet... live in FL so it's incredibly humid all the time here...
Plants - we were just going to use a bunch of branches & plastic pothos; not sure how to keep a real plant alive in there... how do you keep live pothos branches in there, do you just keep a plant outside the tank & then just twisty-tie a new pothos vine in there every couple of days? I'm a bit confused with this. Can I just put plastic plants in & throw some lettuce in occasionally?
Placement - 2' off the floor in the office area of our house
Location - south Florida

Thanks a bunch! I figured since you love chameleons so much you could help me make this one happy

 

[Julirs]

This is a fully grown female Veiled that is dehydrated and potentially gravid. Do they have a laying bucket in there with her. It is terrible that they stress her walking her around on their shoulders. In Florida-she should not be in any kind of glass tank-please research and buy a screen cage if you intend to take this animal in.

You have alot to research, but you are in the right place.

 

[skully23]

Wow..she doesn't exactly look good. Since your new I would strongly say to buy a male instead. You need alot of research..

A fat branch? The branch has to be able to grip and do you have a cage setup at home already? Don't wait last minute.
A screen cage about 4-5foot high is recommended for a veiled adult.
You will need a reptisun or reptiglo 5.0 uvb tube.
A soft white house bulb will work for a basic(30-60w bulb..which ever reaches the temp)...make sure temps are around 80-83 in bask and 70-75 adimet temp.
You also need a temp reader..one for humidity and temp
http://www.petworldshop.com/pictures/digital-thermometer.jpg (something like this)
Also live plants like ficus, pothos, hibiscus..etc..would help with great health
You don't feed "lettuce" you can give romaine, collard, mustard, kale..
She looks old enough to have around 8-10 adult crickets.
You can buy supplements from lllreptile.com....buy calcium with D3 and calcium without D3 and a vitamin...others will fill you in with that
People go against handling everyday.. but try less..like once or twice a week..
No ice cubes..Buy a dripper! Ice cubes are two cold.

Pothos actually will do well in a chameleon cage and the others I listed. You just water them like once a week..Pothos you would have to hang...

I am going to let others fill you in. You don't know much which is a disadvantage for buying a cham so soon...Good luck.

Edit: Here is a link to the stuff you need to buy.
http://lllreptile.com/store/cart

Here is a link for bulbs...scroll down it and find reptisun or reptiglo tube..according to your fixture size
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/uvb-fluorescent-lights-mercury-vapor-bulbs/

These are drippers you can buy at pet stores
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51baOBIc+-L._SL500_AA280_.jpg
http://thereptileking.com/store/product_images/d/692/zoo_med_the_little_dripper__17550_zoom.jpg

If you buy that supplements I linked to you then this is a schedule.
week 1:
mon-fri: calcium without d3
sat: none
sun: calcium with d3

week 2:
mon-fri: calcium without d3
sat: none
sun: vitamins

week 3:
repeat week 1

week 4:
repeat week 2

At the end if the month just start over.

DO ALOT OF RESEARCH because females need more attention. I can't give you info on gravid and eggs because I am not experienced in that

 

[Elizadolots]

Lucie, this seems like a really advanced chameleon to take on as a "first chameleon". When Julirs says she looks "gravid" that means she is likely bearing eggs. They might be fertile, they might be infertile, but if she has eggs she will need to lay them and if she doesn't it will be very bad.

I'm sure you've become attached to her, but it would be better for you to get your money back. I'm not even going to suggest you buy something else because you aren't ready to bring a chameleon home yet. You need to get the right sort of enclosure (tall, so it can climb, with good cross ventilation) for starts.

I don't mean to be discouraging, but where you are right now, with that animal, it's sort of like trying to learn to drive for the first time in a city bus.

 

[skully23]

Lucie, this seems like a really advanced chameleon to take on as a "first chameleon". When Julirs says she looks "gravid" that means she is likely bearing eggs. They might be fertile, they might be infertile, but if she has eggs she will need to lay them and if she doesn't it will be very bad.

I'm sure you've become attached to her, but it would be better for you to get your money back. I'm not even going to suggest you buy something else because you aren't ready to bring a chameleon home yet. You need to get the right sort of enclosure (tall, so it can climb, with good cross ventilation) for starts.

I don't mean to be discouraging, but where you are right now, with that animal, it's sort of like trying to learn to drive for the first time in a city bus.

She is getting it next Saturday. I am sure if she researchs on gravid females and egg laying bins..she could wing it.. but then I feel that its not a good idea to do that... It is a big move for you..you know nothing.

 

[Elizadolots]

I'm not sure how to take that last bit....

I'm not saying it couldn't be done, I just think it's far from ideal. She's going to need to buy lots of new stuff and right off the bat be dealing with egg issues.

The other side of the coin is if she doesn't take it, that female is likely going to have a very bad time and possibly not survive.

 

[skully23]

I'm not sure how to take that last bit....

I'm not saying it couldn't be done, I just think it's far from ideal. She's going to need to buy lots of new stuff and right off the bat be dealing with egg issues.

The other side of the coin is if she doesn't take it, that female is likely going to have a very bad time and possibly not survive.

Thats what I am saying.. Hate to see it not be takin care of. But if she got to work RIGHT now I am sure she could get everything..but she is going to need money money

 

[Lucie]

Alright, clearly I am new at this and thank you for your advice but it seems that I have gotten attached to Lucie and I am getting her, with or without your encouragement. I am not a pro, I have never had a chameleon before, it's my first time, and this one is coming home with me. I have done research but certainly am not a walking chameleon encyclopedia like some of you. I have already paid for her and have set up an enclosure for her, which is a million times better than what the pet store has set up for her. Yes, she has the yellow spots and has been lethargically laying on the ground of her enclosure at the pet store lately. So, what do I do. Help me help her. I am asking for your help because I am afraid of what will happen to her if I do not get her. I like her and I do not want her to die. Do I get a bucket and fill it with dirt? Is she going to keep doing this constantly for the rest of her life? I am not interested in baby chameleons so once she lays eggs can I just throw them out or will she freak out about that. Thanks.

 

[skully23]

Alright, clearly I am new at this and thank you for your advice but it seems that I have gotten attached to Lucie and I am getting her, with or without your encouragement. I am not a pro, I have never had a chameleon before, it's my first time, and this one is coming home with me. I have done research but certainly am not a walking chameleon encyclopedia like some of you. I have already paid for her and have set up an enclosure for her, which is a million times better than what the pet store has set up for her. Yes, she has the yellow spots and has been lethargically laying on the ground of her enclosure at the pet store lately. So, what do I do. Help me help her. I am asking for your help because I am afraid of what will happen to her if I do not get her. I like her and I do not want her to die. Do I get a bucket and fill it with dirt? Is she going to keep doing this constantly for the rest of her life? I am not interested in baby chameleons so once she lays eggs can I just throw them out or will she freak out about that. Thanks.

There are certain ways to humanely kill eggs if fertile but Idk. I believe you will need a 6-10in deep bin? at the bottom of her cage full of..playsand or something like that. I am trying to remember what I heard on this.

I understand where you come from. Just do your research..you can only learn from experience. Why don't you get a picture of your enclosure so we can help you add or take from it

 

[pssh]

Okay, I'm going to paste my baby veiled check list. It has everything you need (it works for a female adult also.) in addition you will need an opaque tub that can hold at least 10-12 inches of moist play sand or organic fertlizer free soil. It should be big enough for her plus a few inches on all sides including above her. If she is already lethargic and staying on the bottom, you need to get her now or add a laying bin now. Waiting til Saturday may be too late for her. Just throw the eggs out if she does lay and you don't want any babies.


Here is my basic checklist for a baby veiled:

-a screen cage of appropriate size (baby:16x16x30, adult female 18x18x36, adult male 24x24x48) you can also buy the adult sized cage and just section off the bottom so it is smaller
-live plants that are non toxic and have covered organic fertilizer free soil
-a normal incandescent house bulb of appropriate wattage
-a dome to put the house bulb in
-a linear reptisun 5.0 and appropriate hood
-a digital thermometer or temp gun to check temperature
-a digital hygrometer to check humidity (you can buy a 2 in 1 thermometer/hygrometer)
-three supplements: calcium with d3, calcium without d3, and a multivitamin that contains no vit A (make sure all are phos free)
-a pump style spray bottle to spray chameleon
-a dripper of some sort
-drainage for the water so that the cage does not flood
-many horizontal, vertical, and diagonal branches/vines/perches make sure there are many at different levels under the basking branch so he can move around under them to get a certain temp, the closest one to the bulb (6-8 inches under it) should have the maximum temperature a baby veiled can handle (80-83 degrees)

All of this can be bought on lllreptile.com but it would be cheaper to buy the uvb hood, normal incandescent house bulb and dome, plants, and digital thermometer from home depot or lowes (unless you are getting a temp gun, then tempgun.com) Veiled chameleons can handle temps as low as 50 degrees (at night) so there is no need to use a night light, though I would try to keep it around 60 for a baby. If you do need extra heat, use a space heater or ceramic bulb.

 

[panthercham]

Welcome to the forum

This is the best place to start with helping your new cham. The below link is very educational and will give you a great understanding on how to raise your little girl.

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

Julirs is correct when she said that being in Florida that she should not be in a glass tank. Could you return it and swap it out for a screened cage?

Don't be too scared to ask questions....we all were beginners at sometime

 

[withlime]

Yes, she has the yellow spots and has been lethargically laying on the ground of her enclosure at the pet store lately. So, what do I do. Help me help her.

If she has been laying at the bottom of the enclosure lately, then it may already be too late to save her. She likely needs to be hydrated, among many other likely problems. I recommend getting yourself familiar with the store's guarantee/return policy because it sounds like you are getting a very unhealthy chameleon.

Your best bet for setting up a new home is to read through some of the older posts on here so that you know what kind of lights, plants, supplements, etc that you need to buy. As for keeping live plants, you can put an entire potted plant into a cage and as long as it gets water and light, it should be fine.

 

[Lucie]

Update!

Well, here is an update- we went to the pet store right away to rescue Lucie after reading the last few posts about her life being in danger. We talked to the owner, who was pretty upset to hear that her chameleon was sick. She said that they have a local vet who specializes in exotics and visits twice a week to check all the animals in the store. The vet never picked up on any of this (Lucie's been there for 2 months!), which is surprising considering that he specialized in exotics... well, the owner said she would call the vet immediately to come by tomorrow morning ASAP to check out Lucie, to see what is going on with her and what we can do... we'd really like her to get better and take her home... if the vet decides that Lucie's not going to make it, the owner said she would be happy to refund our money or give us another chameleon, whichever we'd prefer. So this is where we are at now. If Lucie does not end up going home with us, we will probably get a refund & get a little boy sometime in the near future. Thanks for all the info, it just very well might save Lucie's butt. A MASSIVE thanks to those who have been encouraging, supportive, and informative about this situation, not just beating me up about it.

 

[Olimpia]

When you get her home, give her LOOOOOOOTS of water! I think that's what she needs the most probably. Set her up in her cage, with her laying bucket and everything, and then do this- get a pesticide pump from Lowes or Home Depot (I like the $20 one, the $9 is really crappy), fill it about 1/3 with warm water, pump it, and let it run. The water should come out warmish, and it will probably spray continuously for 15-20 minutes. I would then maybe cover the front sides of her cage in a bedsheet or something to give her peace and quiet while she drinks and decides to lay. After being in such a stressful situation, I think she'd appreciate a long warm shower and some quiet time. Give her several long showers during the day so she has lots of chances to rehydrate and feel much better.

Best of luck with her!

 

[Monkeykungphu]

Sounds like that pet store owner should find another line of work. He sounds generous, but really, he shouldn't keep any animal that he doesn't know how to properly care for.

I don't even own a chameleon (will get one this summer/fall) & I think I know butt loads more than the pet store owner about chameleons from just spending a little time reading on this forum. Good luck with her!

 

[pssh]

Well, I would also call the store and tell them to set up a bin (pay for it if you have to!) it should be moist enough to dig a tunnel without collapsing, and then cover the cage with a towel. Make sure she isn't bothered/watched or she may become eggbound and die. It may be that all she needs is a laying bin and a good watering.

I hope she makes it!

 

[Elizadolots]

Lucie, if you're committed to trying to save this chameleon then I'm sure you'll find you have the whole board rooting for you and trying to help.

As you seem to have developed a rapport with the store owner, maybe you can get her to give you a time frame for your rescue effect, like 90 days or even 30 and if you aren't able to save her, she will still refund your money or maybe give you another animal or store credit or something like that. That will give her a bit more incentive to help you out with some of the supplies and things that you'll need to buy (I'm not suggesting she give you stuff for free, just that she might be willing to discount or cut deals if it increases the chances of Lucie the chameleon surviving).

I'm sure that the 100 gallon aquarium is a big step up from how the store is keeping her. However, from what I see, many 100 gallon aquariums are only 13 inches tall....chameleons are tree dwellers and really do need a fair amount of vertical space. 3 feet is the shortest I've seen recommended and most people lean toward 4 or 5 feet as already said. lllreptile currently has a special on 18x18x36 inch cages, which is about as small as I've seen people suggest (most would say it's too small for the chameleon you have now). For $22 more you can get the 24x24x48 which I think is more typically recommended.

If buying a cage is out of the question at the moment, is it possible to go vertical with the aquarium? Can the screen be rigged so you can still open it in that position? You'll still be short on ventilation, but a full vertical wall of screen is going to be better airflow than a top of screen. The screen is mostly to keep the feeders in so you can get creative with bending edges and adding velcro if that make it work.

You asked about finding supplements. If you don't have a reptile store near you, then you might have to go online. lllreptiles (linked above) will have everything you need. You'll need regular calcium (no d3), a multivitamin (no d3) and either calcium or a multivitamin with d3. I'm not at all familiar with the supplement schedule for a gravid female, but you'll need those powders.

I do really want to help you so forgive me if I came off uncaring earlier.

 

[laurie]

As I already said in my pm, you are not the first or last of us to rescue a chameleon. I think it is good for you to know lot of us are here to help you. With a bit of work, a lot of reading, keeping a close eye on the little girl, she very well may pull through it. Also I use a 24 x24 x36 for my adult female veiled.
Good luck to you both.

 

[pssh]

Just thought I'd throw in, UVB doesn't pass through glass, so standing the tank up on it's side won't work.

 

[Elizadolots]

Just thought I'd throw in, UVB doesn't pass through glass, so standing the tank up on it's side won't work.

She won't be able to put the lights on top of the enclosure, but she can put them to the side near the top....it can be 3 o'clock all day instead of noon all day.